a certain

phrase

1

—used to refer to a quality that is noticed but that is difficult to explain or describe

She has a certain elegance about her.

The house has a certain charm.

2

formal

—used with the name of a person one does not know

In 1889, a certain Mr. Kelly made a large donation to the church.

Examples of a certain in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Bourdain was attracted to a certain kind of swagger that the kitchen crew boasted. — Olivia B. Waxman, Time, 7 Aug. 2026

Second, consider if your search queries need to come from a certain region or location for the best answers. — Julien Khaleghy, Forbes.com, 7 Aug. 2026

At a certain point, a shoe store starts running out of room for shoes. — Kelly Aiglon, Chicago Tribune, 7 Aug. 2026

Utilities use them to trip the opening or closing of valves when water levels reach a certain threshold or to dispense precise amounts of chlorine in the treatment process. — Aj Willingham, AJC.com, 6 Aug. 2026

Rhymes for a certain

• uncertain
• bertin
• curtain